


A Silent Return

by Magnonette



Series: A lot can happen to Snufkin [1]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime)
Genre: Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mute - Freeform, Sad, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-01 13:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18801304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnonette/pseuds/Magnonette
Summary: Spring has come again in Moomin Valley but Snufkin isn't by his tent.Little My and Moomin go to see what's going on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is the first time I actually made a fanfiction and the first time I share it.  
> English is not my first language, so hopefully it's not so bad.
> 
> (I've just corrected it so hopefully there isn't too many mistakes left)

It was Spring in MoominValley, it was time once again time for the Moomins to wake up from their hibernation.   
When Moomin woke up, his first action was to look by his window to see if his friend Snufkin was back from his winter travel. He was submerged with joy when he could see Snufkin's tent already set up by the river. His eyes immediately switch from the tent to the bridge, as it was usual for Snufkin to sit on it while playing his Spring tune on his harmonica to informed his friends of his returned.  
But this time, it was different, Snufkin wasn't on the bridge and the only sign of his return was his tent.  
Thinking that, maybe, the mumrik wasn't awake yet, even if it was unusual for him, the young troll started going down his ladder and running towards the tent. He could hear the door of Moominhouse open and someone running behind him. He stopped and looked behind him to find Little My running after him.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going to see if Snufkin is awake." He replied.

Little My took a few seconds to look around, her eyes stopping on the tent.

"It's weird he is usually up at this time and already playing his harmonica on the bridge." she noted in a curious tone.

"Well maybe he was so tired from his trip that he overslept."

At this point Moomin was starting to worry that his friend might be sick but, he was trying his best not to think too much about it as it was too early to worry yet. The two of them made their way to the tent. Little My opening it without letting a chance to the troll to stop her. The two of them were surprised when they couldn't see their friend inside.

"That's even weirder, Little My said looking around, he's not in here... his stuff is here but no trace of him."

Suddenly they spotted something on the floor next to his bag.  
It was a letter. Moomin picked it up.

"What does it say?" Asked Little My with frustration.

"He says that he's gone for a hike in Lonely Mountain and that he'd see us later..." Responded Moomin.

The young troll couldn't help but worry, after all, even if it wasn't unusual for his friend to go off on his own, he had never done it on the first day of Spring without meeting any of them first.

"I'll go look after him!" He said suddenly as he started making his way out of the tent.

"Hey! Wait!" Exclaimed Little My following him out. "Don't you think he's gone because he wanted more time alone before coming back? Going after him is not a good idea if he wants to be alone, and didn't he said that we would see him later?"

Moomin stopped and looked at her for a moment, considering what she'd said.

"It's true that he said that, he said turning to face the way to Lonely Mountain, but I think I should go see if he's okay."

He started walking again without paying attention to Little My telling him that he shouldn't and that he should come eat breakfast and wait for him to return later instead.

 

On his way Moomin couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. He knew Snufkin liked to be alone and usually didn't want him to come after him, but, this time, he felt as if it was different. After all he never left a letter to justify himself and never left immediately after returning from south. Something had to be wrong for him to do such thing.

He wasn't far from the spot where he knew Snufkin liked to come to observe MoominValley, when he heard a soft music ahead of him. It wasn't one that he knew but it definitely was coming from Snufkin's harmonica. He stopped a moment starting to wander if he really should have come. He listened a little, not moving, before noticing that the song that he was hearing was a sad one.

He suddenly felt a pain in his chest, he knew something must be wrong now and couldn't go back without seeing his friend.  
Still filled with hesitation, he made his way towards where the music came from.  
He wasn't there yet but he could see his friend's back ahead of him. He was sitting in the grass and still playing his harmonica.

Moomin, still hesitant, walked closer to him. It seemed that he didn't noticed him so Moomin called out for him with a soft voice, trying not to sound as worried as he was.  
The green hat moved up a little at the sound of his friend calling his name. He stopped playing his harmonica and slowly turned his head toward Moomin.

Moomin couldn't see his face but he new something wasn't right. He approached him and sat next to him meanwhile Snufkin watched him without moving or saying anything.

"Are you okay?" Said the troll turning to face his friend. "Why did you came here all by yourself, we could have come together."

He tried his best to not show to much worry and to not make it sound as a reproach.  
Snufkin didn't say anything, instead he looked away. His face facing down. He didn't make any sound.

Moomin who knew him well found his reaction quite worrying, he was used to share silence with him as he wasn't someone who liked to talked that much, but this time his silence seemed different.  
His chest hurt more as he asked again trying to get his attention by grabbing his hand.

"Come on Snufkin!" He said as nice as he could. "I know something is wrong, please, tell me!"

His plead was rewarded by Snufkin turning his face to finally face him.  
Moomin couldn't hide how worried he was anymore when he saw his friend's expression.  
It was one he had never seen on him before, and one he wished he had never seen.  
Snufkin face was filled with sadness and looked as if he was trying to contain his tears.  
It was such a painful expression.

"Oh! Snufkin! What happened?" Exclaimed Moomin taking his friend face between his paws. "What's wrong? You have to tell me!"

Seeing how worried Moomin was Snufkin had no choice but to try to tell him.

He tried talking and moving his arms to help him understand as no sound would come out of his mouth.  
Eventually Moomin started to understand what was happening.

"Snufkin... he started a little shocked at the realization, You lost your voice?"

Snufkin nodded quietly, while looking away from the worried face of his dear friend.  
He felt him being pulled into Moomin's arms. 

"Don't worry. I'm sure Mamma will know what to do." He tried to reassure as he hugged him.

He felt Snufkin's arms wrapped around him as he felt tears on his fur. Snufkin was crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this.  
> I hope you enjoyed this first part, I am still not sure if I will make a second part so if you liked it and want to read the next part don't hesitate to tell me.  
> Also I hope it wasn't too boring, like I said it's my first time writing something like that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moomin take his friend to his house to find what they could do to help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and the comments and for reading the first part of course.  
> It makes me so happy to see that you enjoyed it !  
> Here is the next part I hope you'll like it.

They stayed there for a while until Snufkin finally stopped crying and they let go of each other.  
As Snufkin was wiping away his tears, Moomin got a better look at him. He had bags under his eyes showing a lack of sleep and his skin was worryingly pale but, he didn't look sick.

Moomin quietly got up and handed his paw to his friend. He didn't say anything. He just smile and help him up. He didn't really knew how to react in this situation but, he felt that he shouldn't press him with his concern as it would probably make him feel worst.

He kept his hand in his paw while leading him along the path. None of them talked until they could see the bridge in the distance, not that Snufkin could talk anyway. Moomin couldn't help be worry about what could have happened to him to make him in such condition but, he force himself to look as calm as he could for the sake of his dear friend.

As they arrived to the bridge Moomin felt a tug on his arm, stopping him in his reflection.  
He turned around to look at Snufkin who had stopped and was looking down.  
He seemed reluctant to go further and Moomin noticed he was shaking.  
Moomin squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, he said trying to reassure his friend, I'm sure Mamma will know how to help you."

He wasn't sure if he was right to assume that Snufkin was scared of going to Moomin house, but knowing him, he thought that he was probably scared and didn't want to worry anybody.

Snufkin looked up at him, giving him a sad smile and squeezing back Moomin's paw.  
He knew he was doing the right thing but his heart still hurt at this sight.  
Snufkin was never one to show others when he wasn't alright, so seeing him like that, Moomin couldn't help but worry even more. He had to do something to help him.

They continued, crossing the bridge and going toward MoominHouse. They didn't see anybody on their way which was a good thing for Snufkin.  
They made their way inside, nobody in sight. Moomin took Snufkin to the kitchen where he knew he would find his mother.  
He entered first greeting his mother and asking him where was Little My. He wanted to make sure she wasn't going to annoy Snufkin as it wouldn't help him at all.

MoominMamma told him that she had gone out with SnorkMaiden to go collect seashells. She looked at him with a questioning look when he sighed in relief.

"Did something happened?" She asked.

Moomin turned toward Snufkin who just entered the kitchen, he wasn't sure how to explain the situation as he didn't know much either.  
MoominMamma greeted him with a warm smile but then looked at him with a worried expression.

"Oh, dear!" She exclaimed walking over him. "What happened to you, you're so pale and look like you haven't slept for days!"

Snufkin looked down, hiding behind his hat, as he didn't know how to respond.

"He can't speak Mamma..." Moomin said quietly.

MoominMamma didn't say anything, letting her expression tell them that she understood what was wrong. She just looked at the two for a moment thinking about what to do now. Then, she told them to wait while she would search in her grandma's book for anything that might help him.

While she was gone Moomin and him sat down on the couch.  
Moomin tried to reassure his friend who was still looking down, face covered by his hat, that Mamma could find a solution for his lost voice.

When MoominMamma came back with the book in her hand she seemed more concerned than before which worried Moomin.

"Did you find anything?" He asked looking at his mother with worry on his face when she came back with her grandmother's book in her hands.

"Yes." she simply answered.

"What is it?" Moomin urged her, getting up from his seat.

MoominMamma looked at Snufkin who looked back at her for a moment, then she looked back at her son. She seemed unsure of whether or not she should tell them.  
She put a hand on Moomin's head, to tell him not to overreact before she started.

"One can lose their voice after a shock or a psychological trauma..."

She paused to look back at Snufkin, Moomin trying to understand what she meant.

"The only cure is to take some time and to talk about what happened to someone." She finished.

"But how can he tell us anything if he can't speak?" Exclaimed Moomin, just now understanding what she'd said. "Oh Mamma, isn't there anything else we can do" Isn't there any remedy?" He asked pleadingly. "There has to be something!"

MoominMamma hugged him, trying to comfort him. She grabbed Snufkin's arm and pulled him close as well. He melted in the embrace quietly.

After a moment she let go of them, she looked at Snufkin and asked him if he could write.  
He nodded. She smiled at them and went to search for some paper and a pen.  
Moomin felt a little dumb for not thinking of it before. He turned to look at Snufkin who was sitting on the couch again, looking back at him. Moomin couldn't tell if he was worried or just sad, but now he knew that something terrible must have happened to him to make him like that. After all, Mamma had talked about a shock or a psychological trauma.

What in the world could have traumatized him to the point of him loosing his voice, and maybe his sleep too? He wondered as he sat back next to his friend.

"Don't worry, he said again, I'm sure you're voice will be back soon! We'll give you as much time as you need and we'll listen to you when and if you want to talk about it."

He was mostly saying it to calm himself, but he also wanted to remind his friend that they wouldn't push him to talk if he didn't want to. 

Yes, he thought, His voice will come back with time and if we listen to him when he is ready.  
I only hope Little My will understand this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this second part, there probably gonna be a third part soon but I don't know when I'm gonna be able to write it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go for the third part !

MoominMamma returned with a pen and papers and handed them to the boy with a warm smile. He nodded to thank her, and wrote down his first words.

"Sorry for all the trouble."

His handwriting was quite shaky but they could still read it fine.

"It's no trouble."

 

It took some time for everybody to get use to the situation at first.

Little My acted strangely around him at first, she would mostly leave him alone but would often be spotted observing him when he wasn't looking. Eventually, she got back to normal and started teasing her little brother, but still making sure she wouldn't upset him. Moomin would often scold her but Snufkin didn't seem to mind too much, after all she had always been like that and he felt better when she was acting normally.

Worried about leaving Snufkin alone Moomin had convinced him to stay at MonminHouse until he was better. He didn't have to plead too hard too get him to stay which, in a way, even though he wanted it, made him uncomfortable since his friend would usually be stubborn about staying on his own outside.

Moomin would follow him everywhere and would try to cheer him up by telling him stories of his own, from when he woke up during winter. It seemed to work a little as Snufkin looked a little better. But he still was silent and even when he could write he still didn't do it much.He would often do it only if it was necessary and would write as little as possible.   
Moomin tried not to think too much about it as he thought it must have been because it wasn't easy to always have to write down everything he needed to say and, even though he knew he shouldn't push him to talk, he would still remind him from time to time that he would be here if he needed, or that he could always talk with MoominMamma. 

Sometimes, when they would be together, he would notice Snufkin as he looked like he wanted to talk to him but, he would quickly just turn to look away and hide his face under his hat hoping to not have been seen.

 

One day, as they were fishing in a quiet place, Moomin who had been telling stories again noticed Snufkin's desire to talk again. He stopped his story and turned to face his friend who quickly looked away. Moomin took his friend's hand in his paw.

"If you want to talk it's okay you know." He tried to reassure him.

Snufkin looked at him from under his hat, he seemed to hesitate but took the paper next to him, pulling away his hand from Moomin's, and started to write something down.  
Moomin looked over his shoulder to read, making the mumrik tensed a little.

"It's not that easy." Was all he wrote at first, then he started again before Moomin could say anything.

"It would already be hard enough to tell it but writing it is even harder..."

"I know, it must be hard, sighed Moomin, but it's the only way if you want to recover your voice."

He was trying not to make it sound as a complain but seeing the look on Snufkin's face he could tell it didn't work.

"Of course you can have all the time you need to do it." He tried to quickly say something to reassure him, "I'm not forcing you to do it! It's just..." He wasn't sure what to say anymore.

He stayed silent for a moment looking at the stream in front of them.

"If it could really help then it's always good to try you know."

Still not looking at him, he heard Snufkin write down something again. He turned to look as Snufkin showed him his paper.

"I guess you're right... I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading and thank you for the kudos and the comments it really makes me feel happy when I see that people enjoyed what made and even if I don't always reply to comment I still read them and appreciate them a lot.  
> I didn't thought that I would be going for four parts but apparently I am now.  
> Don't worry though I should be able to updated the next (and probably last) part soon, well if I don't get distrated.


	4. Chapter 4

Moomin's face lightened up, his smile growing big. He pulled Snufkin into a hug.  
Snufkin was surprised but returned the embrace.

Moomin released him after some time.

"Sorry, he said a little embarrassed, I'm just so happy to know that you will try!"

Snufkin wasn't sure why he was so happy when he wasn't even sure it would work or that he could even do it. He did mean it when he wrote that he would try, but it didn't mean that he could really do it, and he was afraid he might disappoint him. Nevertheless, he gave him a soft little smile.

"I'm not sure how to do it though." He wrote. "It might take some times."

"It's okay, you have all the time you need to do it!"

They returned their attention to their fishing rods when Snufkin motioned toward them, indicating that Moomin had a catch. Quickly standing up, Moomin started maneuvering. He managed to get the fish all by himself. He picked it up triumphantly, looking at Snufkin.   
Snufkin laughed a little and smiled at him before writing again.

"Nice catch, it's a big fish you got there."

Moomin felt really proud of himself and happy to finally have made his friend laugh, he hadn't seen him this happy and relaxed for so long, it made something feel warm inside his chest.

They continued to fish for a few hours before going back to MoominHouse.

After eating, Snufkin went outside to sit on the bridge, he had told Moomin that he wanted to be alone to try to figure out how to write down what had happened to him.  
Moomin wanted to go with him but, he knew that he needed to be alone to do it, so he just watched him by the window a few minutes before going to help MoominMamma with the dishes.

Little My who was curious followed Snufkin toward the bridge and watched him for a moment, hiding in the bushes, before deciding to go see what he was doing.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She asked from behind him trying to look over his shoulder.

He gasp, startled by the sound of her voice. He had been so focused on what he was doing that he hadn't heard her arrive. He quickly put the paper he was writing on against his chest, hiding what he had written so she couldn't read it.

"What's that?" She asked even more curious. "Come on! Why won't you show me?"

Taking care not to show what was on this paper, he took another one to answer her question.

"It's something important that you don't need to know about yet. Now I need to be alone!" He seemed anxious as he wrote down quickly. "Please!"

Little My looked at him, she could see that her brother seemed very serious and anxious about whatever he was doing. She sighed before giving up and turning back, beginning to walk back to the house.   
She stopped.

"You'll have to recover your voice soon..." She said still looking at the house "I'm bored of reading everything you want to say." With that she ran back up the hill to the house.

Snufkin was surprised, she hadn't said it in the way she usually did.

Was she trying to tell me that she hopes I will be better soon? He wondered.

She was his older sister after all, it wasn't new to him. He knew that she cared and that she just wouldn't show it.   
Well, it's not that she really wouldn't show it, it was more that she had her own way of doing so.

Left alone, Snufkin could go back to what he was doing without worrying over who would come find him next.

 

It was getting dark and Snufkin had already done a good part of his story. He stood up and started to walk toward the house. Moomin who was quietly waiting for him to come back on the porch started running to him to meet him half way.

"How did it go?" He asked timidly.

Snufkin chuckled a little.

"I'm not done yet but it went better than I thought it would." He wrote, his expression saddened a little.

"Oh! Don't worry! You don't have to be quick about it." Moomin exclaimed.

Snufkin smiled softly at his friend's worried expression.

"It's not that..." He wrote "It's just hard to force myself to remember those events..."

His writing was calm but Moomin could tell that he was shaking and trying to control himself.

Moomin took his hand and walked with him back to the house.

"It's getting late, he said with a smile, we should go to bed and have a good night's rest!"

Snufkin smiled back and followed him.

 

Since he had agreed to stay at MoominHouse, he slept with Moomin. He would have slept in the guest room if it wasn't to lessened Moomin's obvious worry. He would be lying if he didn't recognized that he enjoyed it a little and it made him more relaxed. 

 

That night again, Snufkin had another nightmare. He had been having them every nights, but this time, it seemed worse than before. Usually Moomin, who would have been awakened by his turning around and his whimpering in his sleep, would be able to calm him down without waking him up by simply pulling him close to him and and whispering reassuring things to him.   
But this time, it was different, nothing he usually did would calm him and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. He had an expression of pain on his face. Moomin was getting really worried, he had only one last option, trying to wake him up. 

He sat up next to him and put his paws on his shoulders calling him softly.  
It didn't work at first so he tried again, shaking him a little this time.

This time it worked as the poor mumrik woke up with a start. He looked around him confused.  
His eyes stopped on Moomin as he seemed to recall where he was. His eyes filled with tears as he was trying to calm his breathing.

"It's okay. It was just a nightmare." Moomin told him gently, while putting his arms around his shoulders, pulling him close.

Snufkin hugged back, putting his head in Moomin's neck. He cried quietly in his fur as Moomin was rubbed circles on his back. After a few minutes, Moomin noticed that his friend had fallen back to sleep in his arms. Carefully, he laid him back down, pulling the blanket over them again.

How it hurt him to see his dear friend going through all this pain. He went back to sleep, praying for him to be better soon.

 

The next morning before heading down for their breakfast, Snufkin showed him a paper.

"Sorry for last night." Was all that was written on it.

Moomin looked back at Snufkin and noticed that he seemed a bit embarrassed.

"It's okay, really." He said smiling gently at his friend. "You were just having a really bad nightmare."

Snufkin looked down for a moment before writing something else and showing it to Moomin again.

"It wasn't really a nightmare..."

Moomin looked at him confused. What did he mean by that?

"More like a memory." Was what Snufkin wrote next, not without hesitation.

"A memory?" Repeated the young troll, trying to process the words and what it implied in his head.

Snufkin nodded quietly. It took some times for Moomin to understand but he eventually realized what he meant.

"A memory of what happened to you?" He exclaimed. 

With another nod from his friend, he started to understand more.

"Does that mean that you've been dreaming about it every nights?" He didn't even try to hide his worry when the boy in front of him looked down again and nodded.

He didn't know why he hadn't figured it out before as it was quite obvious. Still he wondered why it had been worst this night. Then it hit him.

"It's because you tried to write it down!" He exclaimed again grabbing Snufkin's shoulder startling him. He looked at Moomin confused.

Moomin released his grasp, embarrassed.

"Sorry." He said quickly. "I was just wondering why this night was worst than the other..." He explained looking down in embarrassment.

He looked up when he saw a paper being handed to him.

"It's okay. He read, You're probably right."

Looking up at Snufkin, he was giving him a sad smile.

Deciding that now wasn't the time for such topic, Moomin grabbed Snufkin's hand and headed to the door.

"Come on, let's go eat for now!" He said cheerfully. "Or Little My will eat all our pancakes!"

Surprised by the sudden change of mood of his friend, Snufkin smiled, feeling a little more relaxed, and followed him.

 

After eating Sniff and Snorkmaiden came to try to get Moomin and Snufkin to come play with them as they had been staying together the whole time, but once again they refused.

They watched them go away with Little My as they sat on the bridge together. They stayed like that for some times with only Moomin talking occasionally until Snufkin decided that he wanted to be alone again. Moomin understood what he was going to do before he could even write it down.

"Okay." He said as he got up. "But don't force yourself if you don't want to."

Snufkin nodded. He knew that Moomin was still worried after what had happened during the night but, he had promised that he would try and thought that it was probably the best way to get over it anyway.

 

Moomin walked back to the house and went to the kitchen as MoominMamma was still washing the dishes.

"Mamma?" He asked, sitting at the table behind her.

"What is it dear?"

"Do you think Snufkin will really be alright if he tell us what happened?"

"Well, it is what grandma's book said." She replied wiping her hand on her apron before going to kiss Moomin's head. "I know you're worried but I'm sure he'll be better soon."

"But what if talking about it makes it worst?" He snapped, finally asking the question he had in his mind since the morning.

"I'm sure this won't happened." She replied softly, hugging him. "Grandma's book always told us the truth until now and I don't think it will change."

Moomin felt a little relieved, knowing that she was probably right. But no matter how much he knew it, he couldn't stop worrying for Snufkin after seeing him in such distress during the night.  
When he had understood that writing about it made Snufkin remember every details of what had happened and had worsened his nightmares, he had felt guilty for insisting so much for him to try.  
Obviously it wasn't his fault, and no matter what would happened, Snufkin would never blame him for it.

 

After his short conversation with MoominMamma, he went out and sat on the porch like the previous day.

He was lost in his thoughts when he felt something on his shoulder.  
He quickly looked up, startled, to see Snufkin.  
Snufkin withdrew his hand from the troll's shoulder, surprised at his reaction. After a few seconds, he chuckled a little at the embarrassed Moomin in front of him, before handing him a piece of paper.

"I'm done." Was all that was written on it.

Moomin watched him write something down before showing it to him again.

"How about we go for a walk?"

He knew Snufkin well enough to understand that he wanted to find a quiet place to show him what he had written. He nodded, silently getting up and started walking along with his friend.

 

They walked for a while, still silent. Moomin was nervous, he was finally going to know what had managed to make his dear friend in such a state. It was what he wanted ever since he had found him on the first day of Spring, but now that it was happening he was getting nervous about it.

 

They stopped in a clearing and sat down under a tree next to each other.

Moomin started playing nervously with his tail while Snufkin was apparently organizing his papers.

Snufkin stopped, looking at the papers in his hands. He seemed to hesitate. Moomin looked at him quietly, growing more nervous.

Snufkin finally handed the papers to him, smiling softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it ended up being longer than I thought it would be as I kept adding things so there will be more parts.  
> I must admit, I never would have thought that I would write something this long and I'm having some trouble finding the right words as it's not my native language, but I'm trying my best and so far I'm quite happy with what I'm making.  
> Thank you for reading this fic I hope you're still enjoying it and I hope that it's not getting too boring.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moomin reads what happened to his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there might be some blood in this part but nothing too bad I guess.  
> Also, this part is mostly the tale of what happened to Snufkin.

Moomin took the papers from Snufkin's hands. He could tell Snufkin was as nervous as him, he noticed he was shaking. His smile was hiding how uncomfortable he really felt.

Moomin started reading the papers.

 

_______

 

It had been time for Snufkin to turn back and start going on his way back to MoominValley.

He was a already a good way in when he had come across it.

It was night and he had be walking in the dark for a while now. He was hearing noises in the shadows and had decided to not stop until he was sure to be safe.  
He was trying not to make to much noise to not attract whatever was lurking around.  
Then he stopped. He had noticed that he was not far from the source of the noises and had stopped when the realization hit him. 

Those noises, they weren't any animals.

They were human. Human screams.

And it was close to his position too, though it seemed to have lessened a bit.

Snufkin was feeling sick. What could be making this person scream like that?  
But he wouldn't have to wait long to know, as he heard more sound that he hadn't noticed before.  
He turned and quietly peered through the trees. He could see multiple persons hunched over something that was moving on the ground. He gasp in horror,covering his mouth with his hand, when he realized that it was another person, screaming in pain. The screaming soon came to a stop and the body seemed to be still.  
He couldn't see well what these people were doing to it but he could see blood, a lot of blood on them. 

He had to go before being noticed. He stepped back still in shock but he stumbled on something and fell backward. He almost let out a yelp of terror when he saw them turning around to face him in a manner almost inhuman. He was stuck, paralyzed, from such horrible sight. They were now walking slowly toward him, covered from head to toe in blood. There faces seemed lifeless and there eyes were black. They were looking at him. They were coming toward him. He had to move and fast.

A rush of adrenaline came across him and he stood up quickly. He didn't know what they would do to him but he sure didn't want to stay to find out. He started running as fast as he could, trying not to get lost in the same time. 

He could hear them running after him. His heart was beating fast, too fast. He was feeling sick to his stomach. But he couldn't stop running. Not when he new they were still close behind him.

He had to get away. He had to lose them. And quick! He couldn't run forever.

He had fallen multiple times already but always forced himself back on his feet.  
They were still chasing him.

After what felt like ages, he finally realized that he couldn't hear them anymore.

He wasn't going to stop however. He was far too scared of them still being on the lookout for him and finding his position as soon as he would stop to rest.

He was forced to stop when he stumbled on rock and fell hard to the ground. He was out of breath.  
After that he must have past out as he only remembered waking up moments later with the sun shining on his dirty and bruised face.

Sitting, he studied his surroundings and listened for any noise. He couldn't hear anything more than the birds and the wind in the trees. He let out a sight of relief.

As he tried to stand however he felt sick. His head was heavy and he felt dizzy. His whole body ached. His breath was uneven and his chest hurt. He felt the urge to throw up when he tried to walk, his vision getting blurry.

He leaned against a tree. His entire body was shaking from exhaustion, shock and from pain.

I can't stay here. He thought to himself, They could still find me.

The thought of them finding him gave him some strength to walk. He knew pushing his exhausted body too much wouldn't be a good idea, but at this state he couldn't think more.

He couldn't bear the thought of being found by those monstrous people. Were they even human?  
He had thought they were at first but remembering them now, he wasn't sure anymore.  
He shook his head.   
It's not time to think about that, he thought as he held back the need to throw up.  
He force himself to keep walking, helping himself with the trees, until he found he cave.

He had been there before and he knew it would be safe.

He threw his backpack on the floor as he sat down, resting his back against the wall.  
He was feeling awfully sick. He tried to calm himself down, trying to convinced himself that he was really safe now. They wouldn't find him now.

He closed his eyes, focusing on calming his breathing. Even as he was focused his mind would still replay the events of the night. He eventually fell asleep, only to dream about them hunched over that body again, he dreamed about them following him and catching him. When he woke up he was drenched in sweat. He put a hand on his face, it was wet. He had been crying in his sleep. The horrible memory still in his mind, he rubbed his eyes.

It was early in the morning, he had slept through the entire day and night.  
Nothing had happened to him in his sleep and he didn't hear anybody walking around.  
He was safe.

His body still ached, he still felt sick and shaking but he was alive.

He forced himself to walk again, and even in his condition it wasn't as hard as before.  
He continued on his way back to MoominValley, focusing on the idea of reuniting with his friends.

He hadn't noticed at first. It was only when he had to go in a town to purchase some resources that he realized it. His voice was gone. Of course he thought it was only because of how much he had run. But, after some times, when he noticed it wasn't coming back he had started to panic.

He was feeling rather weak, as he hadn't slept without any nightmare for weeks and his voice was gone. 

He never thought that his journey could seem so long and painful.

His body had healed when he had reached MoominValley weeks later, but his mind was still in pain.  
He couldn't bear to face anyone, even less Moomin as he knew it would worry him a lot.  
This was why he had thought he would just take some time to think before seeing them. He had set up camp in the night, written his letter so Moomin wouldn't worry over him not meeting him, and he went on his way to his favorite spot to have some time for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this fic, for the kudos and the comments.  
> I'm just so happy to be able to write something and be able to be proud of it.  
> I obviously will be making more soon. I will not say that the next one will be the last one but it probably will.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so it ended up longer than I thought again but It is the last part.

Snufkin was looking worryingly at his friend. He observed him the whole time he was reading and he could see the change of expression on Moomin's face. He tried distracting himself by playing with grass but he was so nervous he couldn't help but glance at his dear friend's face. He couldn't tell if he was shocked or worried, probably both.

His mind was racing. He wondered if Moomin would try to stop him from going south after this.

Truth was, since he came back, he had not wandered alone in the forest, or anywhere in fact. And he had to admit that he had been avoiding being alone in his tent as much as possible by staying with the Moomins. Of course, he was too proud of his freedom and too nervous about making them worry over him more, to admit that he was, in fact, scared of being left alone in the forest.

He had been lost in his thoughts again and didn't noticed Moomin putting the papers on the ground.  
He suddenly felt arms being wrapped around him and pulling him in an embrace. Moomin had finished reading and was now hugging him. He was shaking too. Snufkin hugged him back putting his face inside the shoulder of the troll. 

"Oh Snufkin! It must have been so horrible!" He heard Moomin said.

He suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion and tears started dropping on Moomin's fur.

Obviously he hadn't put all details on paper but Moomin seemed to have put things together on his own.

"Don't worry, he said quietly, They will never find you. It's over now."

Moomin was trying to comfort him the best he could and trying not to let himself cry.   
What an horrible experience his friend had lived. He would never have imagined something like this possible. He always found the world outside MoominValley so exciting and interesting, it never crossed his mind that anything scary, horrible even, could happened out there.

Moomin could feel Snufkin's face press more on his shoulder as the boy cried. He could feel him shaking in his arms. Of course he was shaking too, he was shocked and very worried about the idea of his precious friend being hunt in the woods by some monstrous people. But, ultimately, he was relieved to finally know what had happened and was happy because now, he would be able to understand his behavior better and help him get over it as best as he could.

After some times Snufkin finally calmed himself enough to stop crying. He softly let go of his friend's touch, embarrassed. He was a mess. He had always been someone that wouldn't show others how he felt, and him being unable to control his emotions was something hard for him and really embarrassing. How many time did he end up crying in Moomin's arms since he came back?

"It's normal to be scared and cry sometimes you know." Moomin said with a comforting smile as he took Snufkin's face in his paws, forcing him to look up at him. It was as if he had read his mind and was now trying to reassure him.

It wasn't surprising as Moomin would always pick up on everything that bothered him. They always have been so close ever since they first met. He could read him like an open book. He knew how to act around him and Snufkin had always admire that in him.

At that moment he was just grateful to have found such an amazing friend.

Tears filled his eyes again, as he realized that something in his chest felt lighter now. The reassuring and warm paws on his face made him feel peaceful.

Moomin could see Snufkin's face brighten with a warm and thankful smile as tears spilled on his cheeks again. He could tell that his friend was feeling better already.   
Seeing his beautiful smile on his face made him feel a warmth inside his chest. He wiped Snufkin's tears and let go of his face.  
He looked at the sky, realizing that it would be time for them to go home.

"We should head back." He said grabbing his friend's hand in his paw while grabbing the papers with the other.

Snufkin nodded quietly as the two of them got up and started walking, still holding hands.

"Should we show them too?" Moomin asked suddenly looking a little worried again. "I mean, if you don't want the others to know I understand, I think." He was hesitant, not sure how he would react to the question.

There was a long silence for a moment between the two as Snufkin seemed to reflect on his question. But, after some times, he looked back at the worried troll and nodded.  
He could see Moomin's face brighten up with his answer. He knew it still would be hard to show someone else but he also knew they would still want to know and he would eventually have to do it at some point. And now that he had showed it to Moomin, he thought that it would be much easier to show others. He knew he could count on his support.

 

When they arrived at MoominHouse, it was just in time for dinner.

Moomin had discretely ask Snufkin when he wanted to do it, this one had written a quick "After dinner." as an answer.

When they all had finished eating and after Snufkin had helped MoominMamma wash the dishes, Moomin glanced at him as to ask him if he was ready, to which he nodded. Moomin called out everyone and explained that Snufkin was ready to show them what had happened to him.  
Everyone was surprised but mostly curious to finally know.   
He handed the papers that he had kept with him after making sure they were in the right order and MoominPappa started to read it out loud so everybody could hear.

Snufkin was playing with his sleeves, nervous and embarrassed. Moomin was sitting next to him on the couch. He tried to reassure him by taking one of his hands again, he had done that a lot lately, and squeezing it a little. Snufkin smile at him slightly, squeezing back.  
He tried his best avoiding the glanced of Little My by looking down at his feet.

When they had finished reading they all looked at him with worried expression, even Little My looked concerned which was unusual for her. There was a long silence where nobody dared to speak.  
MoominMamma was the first one to speak as she approached to nervous mumrik.

"Oh dear." She said softly, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm glad you're safe now."

Snufkin was surprised at first, but he melted into it. Soon another pair of arms wrapped around them and another one. He could even feel Little My's arms around his legs. It felt awkward but warm and comforting. He allowed himself to cry a little once again.

They hadn't said anything more this night deciding that it was too late and that they should go to bed. Snufkin followed Moomin upstairs to his room.

"I'm glad you decided to tell us." Moomin said laying down next to him.

Snufkin gave him a tired smile and the two fell asleep.

 

This night wasn't so much different from the others, Snufkin had another nightmare again.  
He dreamed about what they could have done if they had caught him. But this time, he woke up suddenly. He felt something soft against his skin. He realized he was in Moomin's arms. Now, normally he would have been embarrassed, but not this time. This time he was feeling safe and comfortable. He sighed in relief.

"Oh, did I wake you up?" Moomin asked softly, looking down at his friend.

Snufkin hummed a response shaking his head. It took him a moment to realized that he actually heard his humming. Moomin sat up with a excited gasp. Snufkin felt a little disappointed that the warmth of Moomin's fur against his face was gone.

"Can you try saying something?" Asked the troll, full of hopes.

"I can try..." The words were muffled, quieter than a whisper but they were there. 

He was surprised at the sound of his own voice. He hadn't heard it for so long, he barely remembered what it was like.   
He watched as Moomin's face filled with joy. Moomin was so happy, he had barely heard it but it didn't matter to him. His friends was finally recovering his voice.  
Moomin threw his arms around the mumrik and hugged him tightly.   
He released him quickly.

"Sorry, he said a little embarrassed, I'm just so happy."

"It's okay..." Snufkin reassured him, he had been surprised by the gesture but he smiled at him before pulling him into a hug again. It was Moomin's time to be surprised as his friend wasn't one to usually ask for such thing as hugs, but he felt happy, putting his arms around the boy again as this one murmured a soft "Thank you." in his chest.

They went back to sleep, still hugging each other. There wasn't another nightmare for Snufkin that night.

 

The next day they were excited to tell the others that he had recover a little of his voice. They were all surprised and happy at the new. They tried making him talk to see if he would recover more but it was still a quiet whisper.

While MoominPappa and Little My tried making him talk, Moomin went to the kitchen to find his mother.

"You were right Mamma!" He said happily "He really recovered his voice after telling us!"

"Well, he hasn't recovered it entirely yet." She said smiling at his son's excitement. "He will still need some times."

She stopped for a moment then patted his head. "Grandma's book is always right dear."

He smiled cheerfully, nodding, before running back to the living room to find Snufkin struggling to get away from Little My's questions.

Moomin announced that they were going out again, pulling the mumrik with him toward the door.  
Snufkin was thankful to Moomin for saving him from his sister.

"Where are we going?" Snufkin asked hoping that Moomin could here him above all the noise of the outside.

"In the forest." Moomin simply answered.

"Do you have something in mind?"

"I just want to go back to your favorite spot to talk." He said cheerfully.

"My favorite spot?" Snufkin wondered why they needed to go there to talk but didn't questioned more as he thought it wasn't a bad idea.

Last time he had come to Lonely Mountains he had been scared the whole way even though he wanted to go and be alone at the time. This time he was happy to go with Moomin, he felt so much safer with him around. He felt stupid for feeling this way but at that time it was better than always feeling scared.

 

When they arrived, they sat down together at the same place they had been the first day. They stayed silent for a moment, taking in the beauty of their surroundings. It was so peaceful.

"So..." Moomin broke the silence timidly.

"So?" Snufkin repeated quietly.

"Are you still scared of being alone?" Moomin asked almost in a whisper.

Snufkin turn to face him, surprised at the question.

"So you noticed..." He was embarrassed again. Of course he would have noticed, he knew him well enough to notice such things.

"Well, yes. You didn't ask, even once, to go out alone, other than to sit on the bridge to write of course. And you accepted to stay at home with us and sleep with me without me having to beg for you to stay. And you never left my side when we got out. And..."

He stopped himself to look at Snufkin who blushed in embarrassment. He hadn't realized it had been this obvious.

"N-not that I was bothered by any of it! I love the time we spend together! It's just..." He stopped again looking away for a moment "It was just so out of character for you, I was worried."

"I guess..." Snufkin's voice made him look back at his friend. "I guess I'm still a little scared." He finally admitted looking up at the sky.

"But..." He continued. "I feel better thanks to you all and particularly to you Moomintroll." He smiled at the Moomin.

"Really?" Moomin blush a little, he didn't thought that he had done much to help. "But you're still scared?"

"Yes, I am."

"What is scaring you?" Snufkin looked at him confused. "Mamma always says that talking about what scares us make us feel better." He quickly explained. He got nervous thinking he was probably asking something obvious but relaxed a little when Snufkin nodded.

"I think, he started, I'm still scared at the idea of crossing path with them again... I know it's very unlikely but it still worries me. And..." He thought for a moment but continued before Moomin could speak. "I'm scared of seeing something else horrible happening again and not being able to run from it this time." He suddenly seemed sad. 

"What if..." He paused for a long time. "What if I never came back? What if I leave you waiting for me, not knowing what happened to me?" He seemed to avoid looking at the worried Moomin next to him as he continued. "What if you forget about me?" His voice broke a little.

"I would never forget you!" Moomin exclaimed, grabbing Snufkin's hands in his paws. "If you don't come back I'll come looking for you!" His eyes were filled with tears, his expression was hurt but he also looked determined. Snufkin was finally looking back at him, he was surprised at the reaction of the moomin but it made him feel somewhat better. 

The look of determination on his friend's face was sincere. He knew Moomin was really meaning it and it reassured him. He wouldn't be forgotten by his dear Moomin.

Moomin's paws squeezed his hand. "No matter what happen to you I will never cease to search for you and I will never forget you!" He was looking at him in his eyes and speaking slowly, tears rolling on his cheeks.

Before, Snufkin would have laughed and doubt his words, he would have told him that he couldn't go on the look out for him without any clue of where he could be. But this time, the look on his friend's face made him believe his words. His eyes filled with tears that they came rolling down his face. He felt a weight lift from his chest.

Moomin pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around Snufkin's shoulders. The two cried for some times, Moomin whispering reassuring words to him, reminding him again and again how important he was to him, how he would never be able to forget him, how he would always come find him if something happened to him.

Eventually Snufkin was finally able to calm his own sobbing.

"Did I ever tell you how lucky and grateful I was to have such an amazing friend?" Snufkin said smiling softly in Moomin's fur, his voice strong and meaningful.

"No you never told me." Moomin chuckled happily.

Moomin pulled him back, his paws staying on his shoulders. He looked at him in the eyes, smiling warmly.

"See? I told you it would make you feel better to talk about it." He said, teasing his friend lightly.

"I guess you were right like always my dear Moomintroll." Answered Snufkin chuckling softly.

"I'm always right!" said Moomin proudly.   
"I'm so glad that you're voice is back now!" He said putting his paws on his friend's face to wipe the tears away. "But I wish you wouldn't torture yourself with such thoughts next time. If you feel the need to talk you can come find me whenever you want."

"I know. I will."

Snufkin's respond surprised Moomin but the surprised was quickly replaced by a wide and happy smile. The mumrik smiled back.

They spend most of the day together, planning their next adventure and walking around in the forest. Moomin would occasionally ask him if he was alright but the fear that had built up in Snufkin's head seemed like just a far memory now. He even talked about going back to live in his tent by the bridge. Moomin seemed a little disappointed at the idea of his friend going back to live alone outside as he had gotten quite use to sleeping with him, but he was happy when Snufkin mentioned coming back to sleep with him from time to time.  
Snufkin was surprised himself at the idea. Before, he would have hated it, he would have felt trapped staying in a closed room, but somehow, after what had happened, he had gotten used to be in Moomin's room and found it quite warm and comforting. Would it have been in another house, he would probably have felt trapped but not in MoominHouse. Not with his dear Moomintroll.

Before he got back to his life in his tent, the Moomins organized a party to celebrate the return of his voice. He wasn't one to enjoy being the center of attention and even less for a party but he stayed and found that it wasn't so unpleasant. It was funny to him, how they would always find an excuse to throw a party. They were such a wonderful family.

When the party ended he went to bed, he had promised to stay until the end of the party and Moomin had convinced him to sleep one last night with him. This night the two of them went to bed happy, hugging each other as they drifted off to sleep. As he fell asleep Moomin could hear Snufkin's voice as he quietly said "Thank you for everything." before falling asleep. There wasn't any nightmare this night or the nights that followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this fic. It was the first fanfic that I actually finished and shared and it was a wonderful experience.  
> I enjoyed it so much actually that I got ideas for another one. I hope the end wasn't too rushed as I tend to do that sometimes and I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
